Yarn Market Knitting News!

YARNMARKET.COM NEWS ISSUE #61 In This Issue: Spring Fashion Forecast: Keep On Layering, Go Feminine with Details & Choose Bright Colors as Accents | An Enthusiastic Yarnmarket Welcome to Alchemy & Three Stunning Yarns | Marvelous New Spring Yarns & Books from Berroco Now in Stock & Ready to Ship to You | Exciting New Developments in the Impressionist Collection with New Partner & New Yarn | Check Out Two New Cotton Blends from Gedifra for High Fashion This Spring & Summer | Knitting in the News: New Study by Mayo Clinic Proves Health Benefits of Knitting | Yarndex Update & Customer Service Reminders Spring Fashion Forecast: Keep On Layering, Go Feminine with Details & Choose Bright Colors as Accents   Furisode Deep V-Neck Cardigan   We've all experienced our share of cabin fever after one of the coldest, snowiest winters this decade, so we are eagerly anticipating the more moderate temperatures and blue skies forecasted for spring 2009. As a wonderful accent to the brighter weather outlook, the spring fashion forecast is equally uplifting, and as most of the fashion mags are emphasizing, new outfits and accessories can be reasonable investments in your wardrobe and not break the bank. As Harper’s Bazaar editor-in-chief Glenda Bailey explains it, “I think the good thing about the recession is that it has focused people [designers]. Am I doing what is right for my customer? It makes designers more creative.” As usual, designers are offering a variety of fashion options & trends so that over the next few months we can build our wardrobes around what best suits us and our style preferences. But it is definitely time to break out of the doom and gloom of the past few months and look ahead – and in some cases look back to times past – for the latest and greatest ways to freshen our looks.   Fiorista Ruffled Jacket   To start off our spring forecast, we're taking a look at two of the top fashion trends this season. We're also getting up-to-the-minute advice on the hottest color selections we should make to keep up to date with the latest trends. First off, we need to continue with the layering because it is as popular as ever this spring. As Jean Paul Gaultier explains this trend to the editors of Vogue, “The mood is that of a dancer after rehearsal. How they layer their clothes—that’s what I find romantic and sensual.” The words to keep in mind with this trend are “easy,” “loose-fitting” and “comfortable.” Cardigans remain a key wardrobe piece for layering, but we will be seeing what Vogue calls the “long and short of it,” referring to a variety of marvelous lengths from the longer tunic style to the cropped bolero. One such terrific new cardigan project from Noro's designer Jenny Watson is the Furisode Deep V-Neck Cardigan. With its face-slimming neckline and its flattering elbow-length sleeves, this cardi is a surefire way to add color & life to your layering options. Then for a longer, lacy option, check out the Superior Crocheted Chain Tunic beautifully crafted of supersoft Superior yarn from Filatura Di Crosa.   Mica Flutter Sweater   Vests are also becoming more and more popular for layering, and as Michael Fink, Women’s Fashion Director and Vice President of Saks 5th Avenue, so succinctly comments, “Vests take on new meaning this spring.” From the funk & fun of the Fiorista Ribbon Tie Vest to the classic Jeans Cabled Vest from Tahki Yarn, you have a wide range of choices this season. The second important trend for the spring is the return of a variety of feminine details for your garments and accessories. Referred to as a great way to add texture in a recent InStyle feature article, all the feminine touches are in the fashion spotlight. From ruffles and bows to crocheted detailing, “femme has never been so fab” as the fashion buyers for Kohl’s Department Store point out.   Snuggly Side Tie Cardigan   Now here's the trend where knitwear designers have really jumped on the high-fashion bandwagon because we find many feminine details used to enhance classic styles. For example, Gedifra's ultra-modern Design Director Karola Gottwald has developed some lovely feminine styles including the Fiorista Ruffled Jacket, which combines the layering & femme trends in the same wardrobe essential. Now what could be more attractive than adding a bit of funk plus feminine styling to your jacket collection? We can also rely on Berroco's Norah Gaughan to apply the latest fashion styles yet keep them comfortable, wearable and flattering. This is especially true with her feminine Mica Flutter Sweater. This classic short-sleeved top with its face-framing V-neck is then modernized with the latest trends by adding a lovely draped ruffle down the front. Norah even sizes her creation from Small to 3X showing just how versatile such a style can be. Of course, your favorite little girls can also be just as trendy as their moms, sisters, aunts & other relatives, especially with so many adorable books & patterns available from Sirdar and Rowan. The Snuggly Side Tie Cardigan is an adorable take on a short-sleeved cardi with ruffled edging. We also recommend the Milk Cotton Margo Pullover because of its innovative styling from Marie Wallin. Each colorful stripe has a trendy crocheted ruffle added during the finishing work!   Taiyo Shoulder Bag   Then when we need up-to-the-minute color forecasting, the Pantone Fashion Color Report is our Bible, and for Spring 2009, bright colors are back in the spotlight after several seasons of primarily neutrals with jewel tone accents. As Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, observes, “New York’s fashion designers encourage hopeful attitudes with lively colors.” We love that the choices are so wonderfully rich and wide-ranging: from Palace Blue, a new sparkly take on last season’s navy blue and the softer hue of ever-popular purple in mystical lavender shades to what Suite 101’s Gill Hart calls a wide range of “tropical and zesty fruits and nutty flavors from pistachio, citrus lemons and limes to juicy papaya.” With three greens, a dusky peachy pink and fuchsia red (think rich persimmon) rounding out Pantone's top 10, we are eager to enjoy the vivid hues of spring and brighten all our moods perhaps with colorful innovative accessories like the Taiyo Shoulder Bag. But does this strong emphasis on brights mean we need to throw out all of our neutral hues? Judging by the dramatic March feature in Vogue, beige is not boring, and we have to agree with the editors that “Subtle tea-stain colors, delicate florals, and blush-tone silks put us in a blissfully romantic mood." We also recommend that we all follow the advice of Pantone’s Eiseman as reported in a recent issue of Woman’s World. To show how Lemon Yellow can be adapted for any skin tone, Eiseman recommends lemon yellow for fair skin because it “makes your hair look luminous and balances any pinkness in your skin.” If our complexion is medium or tan, then we should wear marigold to enhance our “skin’s olive undertones,” and if our skin tone is dark, then mustard is our shade because of its wonderful vibrancy in contrast to dark hair, skin and eyes. An Enthusiastic Yarnmarket Welcome to Alchemy & Three Stunning Yarns   Haiku Illusionist Wrap   This month we are oh so excited to welcome the stunning yarns of a wonderful yarn & design company -- Alchemy Yarn -- to our Yarnmarket family of fine yarns. Distinctive, beautiful Alchemy is the brainchild of husband and wife team Gina and Austin Wilde. Known for the finest quality fibers & blends from around the world, Alchemy offers extraordinary yarns that look exquisite and feel wonderful. Each hank is individually handpainted on their farm in Northern California where the lovely colors of nature serve as their constant inspiration. No wonder the company slogan is "Yarns of Transformation" because these superb yarns and marvelous color choices are sure to transform your knitting & crochet projects. So to start off our Alchemy collection, we now have available three year-round yarns plus the sensational pattern support that transforms the yarns into works of art.   Silk Purse Queen of Hearts Bolero   First comes lovely "Haiku" available in two spectacular versions: multi-hued Haiku Handpaint Colorways and tone-on-tone Haiku Handpaint Elements. Even the simplest scarf or shawl pattern will be transformed by this fantastic fiber blend. Add that most scarves & many shawls can be knitted up with just one generous 325-yard hank, and we bet your most challenging decisions will be which superb color to choose first. And no wonder yarn guru Clara Parkes of the respected Knitter's Review lists Alchemy's "Haiku" as one of her favorite yarns. Superbly crafted of 60% mohair & 40% silk, this brushed mohair fiber blend has beautiful shimmer from the silk and terrific loft from the mohair. "Haiku" is a great choice worked up on a wide range of needle sizes with great touchability next to your skin in shawls, scarves, even garments as so marvelously demonstrated in the innovative Haiku Illusionist Wrap. Worked lengthwise on your knitting needles and seductively rippled with movement and drama, Gina Wilde's spectacular shawl is an exploration of simple and satisfying ruching details. Then we also have in stock wonderfully elegant Silk Purse Handpaint Colorways and the nature-inspired Silk Purse Handpaint Elements. The artistic background of Gina Wilde as a a painter seems to come out even more in the fantastic "Silk Purse" color combos because this 100% silk fiber gem is truly saturated in color and seems to shine from within with a mystical light. Ideal knitted or crocheted by itself in an elegant scarf or camisole, you can also combine "Silk Purse" with any of the other marvelous Alchemy yarns for an eclectic mix of textures and finishes. We bet when you get your first peek at such spectacular designs as the Silk Purse Queen of Hearts Bolero and the Alchemy Tides Scarf, you'll definitely agree.   Silken Straw Josephine Bag   As the perfect complement to our current Alchemy yarn collection, we've also added two of the most interesting 100% silk yarns we've seen in ages. Constructed of 5 fine silk strands, Silken Straw Handpaint Colorways and Silken Straw Handpaint Elements are loosely woven into a unique ribbon unlike any yarn we've ever seen. This wonderfully shimmery 100% silk is delicately dyed in the tone-on-tone "elements" colors and variegated color blends for which Alchemy is so well known. Also it magically softens as you work with it and is even softer yet after the completed projects are worn & washed. So you can enjoy "Silken Straw" in a terrific accessory like the Silken Straw Josephine Bag yet also in a fabulous vertical-striped top such as the Silken Straw Surfer Top. It's hard to believe that any patterns could live up to the truly spectacular beauty of such Alchemy yarns as "Silken Straw," "Haiku" & "Silk Purse," but company co-founder & artist Gina Wilde has created a fabulous collection. From boleros to scarves and from handbags to baby blankets, Gina has designed wonderfully stylish, out-of-the-ordinary knitting & crochet projects just for you. Take a look at this wonderful collection of Alchemy books & patterns: Destination Alchemy is a collection of 20 wonderful patterns organized as a textile travel adventure for discriminating fiber artists. Alchemy Le Monde Bag combines "Silk Purse" & "Silken Straw" into a trendy little purse you'll want to carry with you everywhere. Alchemy Lost & Found is Gina Wilde's brand-new collection of patterns forecasting what will be trendy for Fall 2009 & Winter 2010. Silk Purse Birds Of A Feather Bolero is a feminine, short layering piece appropriate for most seasons. Silk Purse Sonoma Tank demonstrates beautifully how a classic style can be transformed by a superb, elegant yarn. Silk Purse Sweet Dreams Baby Blanket shows what trendy infants and toddlers are enjoying this season from Alchemy . Marvelous New Spring Yarns & Books from Berroco Now in Stock & Ready to Ship to You   Berroco: Norah Gaughan Volume 4   It's that time of year when we're thrilled to have the new spring & summer yarns in stock from yarn powerhouse & ever-popular Berroco Yarn along with sensational pattern support too. In this issue of the newsletter, we're featuring some of the most distinctive new yarns and then will follow up in future issues with other new fiber creations and new colors in your warm-weather favorites. First off, get ready to enjoy supersoft, DK-weight Pure Pima for your warm-weather knitting and crochet projects. Building on the supersoft feel of pima cotton, the yarn gurus at Berroco have developed a distinctive look by mixing mercerized and unmercerized fibers. The end result is a lovely yarn with subtle variations in sheen for delightful spring and summer garments, accessories and more.   Latitude   And who better to show us just how lovely "Pure Pima" projects can be than Berroco's Design Director Norah Gaughan herself? Her new pattern collection Berroco: Norah Gaughan Volume 4 is filled with superb Pure Pima projects including the creative Pure Pima Flower Child Top, the flattering Pure Pima Haight Shrug and the Pure Pima Love Tank Top that can also double as a layering vest. Besides this lovely cotton fiber gem, Berroco is introducing two more yarns with very distinctive constructions and textures for your knitting & crocheting pleasure.   Mica   When you're craving a fiber blend that's distinctive and soft for your spring/summer projects, check out Berroco's Latitude yarn. Combining natural, cool cotton with the shimmer of rayon gives you marvelous drape & stitch definition in your crocheted & knitted garments & accessories. A tone-on-tone, multi-hued base strand is wrapped with a nylon binder for added texture in an almost crepe-like fiber blend. "Latitude" is wonderful for tops, shawls, scarves, vests, cardis, bags & more as so aptly shown in the pattern booklet Berroco #282: Latitude. From the sleek lines of the trendy Latitude Armay Racerback Vest to the funky Latitude Atote Bag, "Latitude" is a fun choice for your warm-weather projects. Then last but certainly not least, we have spectacular Mica with its multi textures & multi fibers. Blending the crisp hand of linen with the sturdy drape of cotton gives you terrific spring & summer options. Then when you add the sheen and strength of silk & nylon, the result is truly superb & unique. "Mica" is a perfect choice for tops, shrugs, shawls, scarves, really any DK-weight knitting or crochet project, and along with several designs in Berroco: Norah Gaughan Volume 4, it has its own dedicated book also. Berroco #286: Mica contains 10 Mica knitting & crochet projects, and some of our favorites are the Mica Crocheted Gallatin Tote, the Mica Silver Tank Top & the Mica Ezra Bolero Shrug. Exciting New Developments in the Impressionist Collection with New Partner & New Yarn   Impressionist La Boheme Wrap   Now we're definitely getting ready for spring and summer with an exciting new partner who has joined our Yarnmarket-exclusive Impressionist Collection of hand-dyed interpretations of eight well-known French Impressionist paintings. Please join us in welcoming Fiesta Yarn to our Impressionist family, and we know from your first peek at Impressionist La Boheme, it will take your breath away.   Impressionist Criss Cross Scarf   Building on the foundation yarn of the Fiesta collection for the past 25 years and their top-selling yarn year round, "Impressionist La Boheme" is a fantastic addition to the Impressionist Collection. Since "La Boheme" is the only 2-stranded fiber blend of its kind where the strands are hand-dyed at the same time, this fiber gem gives you marvelous color saturation and coordination that others can just imagine. Also the mix of rayon boucle and fluffy kid mohair gives you superb shimmer blended with delicately lofty texture. The result is lovely drape and color combos for year-round elegance and pizzazz. And just to demonstrate how truly spectacular these eight colorways are in elegant "Impressionist La Boheme," Fiesta has developed two Yarnmarket-exclusive patterns for this lovely collection. Add that each of the patterns is free with your yarn purchase for the project, and you have a great introduction to this beauty. The feminine, multi-seasonal Impressionist La Boheme Wrap is created using a horizontal rib pattern by alternating stockinette & reverse stockinette rows. Then systematic decreasing and picked up stitches for the front ties at each end finish off this marvelous addition to your accessories wardrobe. Then for year-round elegance and a terrific addition to your scarf collection, check out the Impressionist Criss Cross Scarf. Beautifully crafted of just 1 hank of "Impressionist La Boheme," this Yarnmarket-exclusive scarf is the perfect dressy accessory. Whether worn with your favorite little black dress or draped at the neckline of your best jacket or coat, this scarf is extraordinary and not what you'll see everyone else duplicating. Just follow the criss cross directions in the pattern, and you'll have a lovely piece of neckwear in no time. Or for a longer version, purchase 2 hanks of "Impressionist La Boheme," and knit until you reach the length you prefer. Check Out Two New Cotton Blends from Gedifra for High Fashion This Spring & Summer   Fiorista   Because of your fabulous response to all the new yarn creations from Gedifra each season, we are sure to order the new yarns to get them in at the beginning of each spring & fall. We now have in stock two of Gedifra's stupendous new fiber developments, and each of them is an innovative cotton blend.   Milena   To start us off, Fiorista is right up with the trends with its self-striping, almost tie-dye look for spring & summer. Available in terrific color combos, "Fiorista" is sensationally crafted in Italy of 88% cotton & 12% polyester, "Fiorista" is great for tops, jackets, scarves, bags, shawls & more. Just drool a bit over the marvelous Fiorista designs in the brand-new Gedifra Highlights #091, and we bet your fingers will be itching to get started creating the Fiorista Classic Tee, the Fiorista 3/4-Sleeve Pullover, the Fiorista Slip Stitch Jacket and the Fiorista Cap-Sleeve Henley. Then we've added the sensational new ribbon tape Milena yarn also from Gedifra. Looking like it was created by an overlocking sewing machine, "Milena" has marvelous texture and wonderful sheen for all your warm-weather fashions. Also blending three complementary hues along with mixing 70% cotton & 30% polyester with Italian artistry makes "Milena" a truly stunning choice for spring & summer jackets, scarves, bags, tops, shawls & other accessories. Once again, Gedifra Highlights #091 is the pattern book with all the just released patterns, and we recommend the Milena Long Jacket, the Milena Crocheted Layering Top and the Milena Textured Cardigan just to name a few exquisite options. Knitting in the News: New Study by Mayo Clinic Proves Health Benefits of Knitting Over the past few years we have featured various studies investigating the health benefits of our favorite crafts, and now a just released study from the highly regarded Mayo Clinic explores knitting even further and was featured on a recent broadcast of the popular CBS morning news show The Early Show. According to Dr. Yonas Geda, a neuroscientist at the Mayo Clinic, memory loss in older patients can decrease 30% to 50% in those who had spent their earlier years engaging their minds and bodies in such activities as knitting. In addition, the study showed evidence that knitting helps patients manage stress, pain and depression more effectively and also improve their immune systems. Another researcher, Robert Reiner of Behavior Associates, who was interviewed for the CBS show noted that various physiological improvements have been documented in his patients who enjoy such activities as knitting, especially drops in blood pressure in those suffering from hypertension. To view the entire CBS airing of the feature on The Early Show, check out the April 6, 2009 posting on our Yarnmarket blog, Shear Bagatelle. Yarndex Update & Customer Service Reminders As an update on Yarndex.com, your ultimate yarn reference resource, in recent months we've added so many new yarns & companies that we're well past the 5000 yarn milestone. That's over four times the number of yarns we had when we launched Yarndex.com in January 2005, and we are dedicated to providing you with the best, most up-to-date information on your favorite yarns. Recent new additions & updates include Sirdar, Aslan Trends, Noro, Crystal Palace, Debbie Bliss and Mission Falls just to name a few. Also remember that you can search in a variety of ways on the site to get the information you want in the best format for your use. And for those of you who haven't checked out the site yet, please do so & send us your suggestions because we're always looking for more ways to offer you reference information. One other new feature is the "Most Popular Yarns Today" sidebar on the right side of the Home Page. Here is where you can see the Top 10 most searched yarns on Yarndex.com each day. And last but certainly not least, you know that we the staff of www.yarnmarket.com pride ourselves on our customer service. Each order is packed with pride by Alma, Amy, Lisa, Tina, Julie or Emily –- and we’re happy to say that although we have the occasional glitch, we have an almost 99% accuracy rate. If something does go wrong, we’ll do everything we can to make it right for you . . . right away! Just send us an e-mail at orders@yarnmarket.com or call us at 1-888-996-9276, and we’ll take care of the problem. Our customer service hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday. Thanks for reading, and we wish you a Happy Easter coming up plus we recommend you celebrate Earth Day on the 22nd with some special ways to preserve Mother Earth for future generations. And as always, Happy Knitting & Crocheting! Your Yarnmarket Knitting Store Staff Yarnmarket.com, BargainYARNS.com, Yarndex.com, Shear Bagatelle and KnitchMagazine.com are subsidiaries of Yarnmarket, LLC. Yarnmarket is an online yarn retailer with over 700 quality brands from over 50 leading manufacturers, plus patterns, books and accessories. BargainYARNS provides discounts on fashionable yarns and accessories. Yarndex is a free online yarn directory offering detailed information about more than 4500 yarns from leading manufacturers. Shear Bagatelle is the Yarnmarket blog, an inside view of all the happenings behind the scenes at Yarnmarket. Knitch Magazine is an online publication showcasing knitting and crochet fashions for yarn lovers.